Back in Arizona...............finally!

[Grandpa Shooter]

We got back in Az last night and slept at a truck stop on I 40.  Got into the Valley around 2:00.  I think this was the longest road trip I have ever survived.  I love to drive and see new stuff, but I doubt I would ever go back to Texas in the future.

We spent 9 days with either constant drizzle, rain or fog so thick you couldn't see more than 100 feet.  Combine that with a little bitty town every 5 miles, farm roads and county roads every turn in the road, and drivers tailgating at 70 miles an hour and you have an unpleasant time to say the least.

One tip:  Don't ever eat at a place with BUBBA in the name.

Next trip with be through the Northwest and back through the plains states.  Got some changes to make in the motorhome for mechanical soundness and personal comfort.  First will be putting new tail lights on it for better visibility.  Maybe that way people will realize they are following me and not get sucked up onto my apparently magnetic bumper.

[TMM]

Glad to hear you made it back safe and sound, and i hope you had fun.

You will love the Northwest and Great Plains states. out of the 70 or 80% of the country i have seen, those two areas are my favorite.

TMM

[Standing Wolf]

Yeah, but how many more miles to Tucumcari?

[grampster]

or Tehacepi to Tanapah.

[Monkeyleg]

Wait 'til you go to South Dakota and see the Wall Drug signs.

[vaskidmark]

The first 2 words you need to learn are "conspicuity tape".  It's the reflective, alternating red & white stuff on the backs & sides of trailers.  Make the motorhome's backside look like the east end of a westbound freighter.

Do you have a back window that has access to an electrical outlet (AC or DC)?  Peruse scrolling LED message bars - the taller the array the better.  Either stick with stock messages such as "Back off or I'll stomp on the brakes!" or create your own.

If that does not work, set the cruise control (it's just like an airplane autopilot, right?) and stroll to the back window and shake your fist at the tailgater.  If that does not work, hold up a big tube of KY and ask if they'd like to use it before they get any closer.  You may need to use one of them pieces of cardboard to make a sign for that.  Do not get it confused with the one you hold up at the entrance to WalMart begging for $$.  Confusion like that you do not want.

And besides, this post is useless without pictures.  Where are they?

stay safe.

skidmark

[Silver Bullet]

Yeah, but how many more miles to Tucumcari?

I've been to Tucumcari several times.  One time I was driving from Flagstaff to Wichita, and I left the Interstate at Tucumcari (as I recall) to get onto US 54.  I drove for a couple hours at night in a deep fog, no open gas stations, and I was exhausted from packing for a move.  The second toughest drive I ever made.  I even had to let my (first) wife drive, I was so tired.

[AZRedhawk44]

Welcome back, Gpa!

[Boomhauer]

Glad to see ya'll made it back.

Wait 'til you go to South Dakota and see the Wall Drug signs.

We stopped there in July of '07. Came down off of Mount Rushmore, went through a terrible storm, and then once we were out of it started seeing the Wall Drug signs. I really started to wonder how many freakin' signs that place had and why was it so special.

We ended up stopping there and eating supper at one of the restaurants (not very good) and browsing the shops, then moving on and stopping at Kadoka and staying the night.

The West is stunningly beautiful. I hope to move out there someday.

[Standing Wolf]

The West is stunningly beautiful. I hope to move out there someday.

You might not wait for someday to get here. The west, (AKA "fly-over country,") isn't still on the big map with the colored dots and little flags in the basement of the White House.

[Tallpine]

I'm glad you all are safe. 

I was starting to worry the your motor home had died again somewhere without wireless 

[Grandpa Shooter]

I'm glad you all are safe. 

I was starting to worry the your motor home had died again somewhere without wireless 

The motor home ran fine other than the alternator not being strong enough to charge two batteries, one of which is a deep cycle battery.  I am going to put a regular battery in it and then try running it and see if it can charge two automotive batteries.  I don't know a whole lot about the marine deep cycle batteries but I seem to recall they require a special trickle charging system, something an old motor home wouldn't have.

If any of you have more experience or knowledge I'd appreciate some input.

Of all the states I have been in, I think the only two I would choose would be Arizona and Montana, but Lady Shooter says we have to add coastal Maine in there.  She has never been through a New England winter, so we have to do that before making any decisions (if we were going to move).

[TMM]

She has never been through a New England winter,

very wise... i'm in mid-vermont, it's probably 10 or 15 out, (mid-day), and the highest forecasted temperature for the next couple days is 25. not as bad as it can get but it's intolerable to a lot of people.

oh, and those Wall Drug signs... i loved the signs. i didn't much care for the actual place though. you'll also see signs for the Petrified Gardens (a bunch of petrified wood lying around with a fence around it all so you have to pay to see it) and the 1800's Town (it was all right, not too exciting though).

TMM

[Tallpine]

Well, you could change to a heavy duty alternator - but make sure the bracket is strong enough 

[crt360]

We spent 9 days with either constant drizzle, rain or fog so thick you couldn't see more than 100 feet. 

Next trip with be through the Northwest . . .
 

Are you sure you didn't accidentally go there on this trip?  :D

[Grandpa Shooter]

Are you sure you didn't accidentally go there on this trip?  :D

The folks down in Southeast Texas told me they get 50-60" of rain a year, but it was cold and wet so much even the alligators were bedded down upriver.  Can you believe that in the National Forest campground we went to dump our tank, there are signs saying, "Do not approach or feed the alligators!"  Now I know what Bill Engval meant about giving out signs to people.  Isn't he from Texas?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

you might try some of the led tail lights.  if you can't get some that are replacement parts maybe a set that they sell for upgrading trailers. i paid about 45-50 bucks if i remember right and they are scary bright.

[Grandpa Shooter]

you might try some of the led tail lights.  if you can't get some that are replacement parts maybe a set that they sell for upgrading trailers. i paid about 45-50 bucks if i remember right and they are scary bright.

I changed the small tail lights on my work trailer to full pod lights and they are greatly brighter than standard ones.  I have seen the led lights at various auto stores but had not thought of them for the motor home.  I will look into it, probably at Auto Safety House.  If they are as bright as my LED flashlights, they will do the trick.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Tallpine]

The winter that we spent on North Padre was one of the coldest on record.  It had frozen right before we got down there, and there were dead fish all over Laguna Madre 

Most of the palm trees had died too.